New Torque Converter installed - What a difference!
02-05-2016, 06:07 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
New Torque Converter installed - What a difference!
Picked up my 2015 A8 from the dealer today after they installed a new torque converter. They also replaced my transmission filter. WOW what a difference. It is like driving another car. I have no symptoms of a bad torque converter. My transmission shifts very smooth and you can't tell when it shifts from V8 to V4 and back. When I slow down to stop, the transmission shifts smoothly and you do not feel the transmission down shifting. The RPM's at constant speed DO NOT move up and down. I enjoy driving my car again. The service writer said if you don't eventually have the bad torque converter changed out your transmission will fail. He feels GM at some point will have a recall. You would think it would be cheaper to replace the torque converters than replace transmissions.
The following 8 users liked this post by Red C8 of Jax:
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02-05-2016, 06:11 PM
#2
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ttt
Man glad you are happy with her now. You would think also about that on the conv over the full trans and other parts..
02-05-2016, 06:18 PM
#4
Picked up my 2015 A8 from the dealer today after they installed a new torque converter. They also replaced my transmission filter. WOW what a difference. It is like driving another car. I have no symptoms of a bad torque converter. My transmission shifts very smooth and you can't tell when it shifts from V8 to V4 and back. When I slow down to stop, the transmission shifts smoothly and you do not feel the transmission down shifting. The RPM's at constant speed DO NOT move up and down. I enjoy driving my car again. The service writer said if you don't eventually have the bad torque converter changed out your transmission will fail. He feels GM at some point will have a recall. You would think it would be cheaper to replace the torque converters than replace transmissions.
How much time and effort to change TC...was any damage done to car ?
02-05-2016, 06:28 PM
#6
Le Mans Master
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Very good! That's a relief. 
02-05-2016, 07:38 PM
#7
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Thread Starter
Takes the same amount of labor to remove the torque converter as it takes to change out the transmission. You have to drop the transmission to remove torque converter. No damage was done to the transmission because of the bad torque converter.
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 02-06-2016 at 03:42 PM. Reason: Merged Posts-please use the Multi-Quote button (Middle Icon) in the lower right hand corner of each post.
02-05-2016, 07:55 PM
#8
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St. Jude Donor '15
Awesome, glad they fixed it for you!
02-05-2016, 08:31 PM
#10
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St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
OP: How many miles on your car when you first noticed the issues? Was it from the get go?
02-05-2016, 09:38 PM
#14
Le Mans Master
One of the easiest ways to check your torque converter is to take your car on the interstate and turn on your cruise control and watch your RPMs and see if they move a little up and down for as long as your cruise is on. You should also feel the transmission shuddering in the steering wheel while out cruising at all speeds. Also check to see if your car is slow to go into the gears.
Takes the same amount of labor to remove the torque converter as it takes to change out the transmission. You have to drop the transmission to remove torque converter. No damage was done to the transmission because of the bad torque converter.
Takes the same amount of labor to remove the torque converter as it takes to change out the transmission. You have to drop the transmission to remove torque converter. No damage was done to the transmission because of the bad torque converter.
What exactly does "slow to go into the gears" mean? Rough shifting? RPMs climb to 4000 but it doesn't shift to the next higher gear?
02-05-2016, 09:51 PM
#15
Brought the car in for an oil change and transmission problems and ended up having a collapsed lifter which I knew was the culprit to the loud clicking noise I was experiencing. The mechanic havent gotten around to looking at the transmission yet but will definitely tell him about the bad torque converter so hopefully it gets changed out. Drove my uncle's c7 and his transmission shifts was so much smoother than mines.
I've experienced rough shifting, like when its time to shift, the transmission would jerk a bit before going into the next gear. Sometimes theres a lag, like the RPM stays at one point for about a second before shifting.
Is there an optimum cruise control speed setting and/or RPM level that needs to be set in order to watch the RPMs to see if they move up and down?
What exactly does "slow to go into the gears" mean? Rough shifting? RPMs climb to 4000 but it doesn't shift to the next higher gear?
What exactly does "slow to go into the gears" mean? Rough shifting? RPMs climb to 4000 but it doesn't shift to the next higher gear?
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 02-06-2016 at 03:43 PM. Reason: Merged Posts
02-05-2016, 10:04 PM
#16
Now its time for me to get out the screw driver!! 
Look out GM here I come!
Look out GM here I come!
Last edited by Black&White; 02-05-2016 at 10:05 PM.
02-05-2016, 10:39 PM
#17
Le Mans Master
02-06-2016, 07:52 AM
#18
One of the easiest ways to check your torque converter is to take your car on the interstate and turn on your cruise control and watch your RPMs and see if they move a little up and down for as long as your cruise is on. You should also feel the transmission shuddering in the steering wheel while out cruising at all speeds. Also check to see if your car is slow to go into the gears.
Takes the same amount of labor to remove the torque converter as it takes to change out the transmission. You have to drop the transmission to remove torque converter. No damage was done to the transmission because of the bad torque converter.
Takes the same amount of labor to remove the torque converter as it takes to change out the transmission. You have to drop the transmission to remove torque converter. No damage was done to the transmission because of the bad torque converter.
02-06-2016, 08:47 AM
#19
Safety Car
Thread Starter
The first symptom I noticed was my transmission shuddering while in cruise control on the interstate. It would shudder for several seconds, stop for several seconds and do it again. It would do this over and over again as long as my cruise control was on. Sometimes the tranny would shudder like you are running over a rough road but you are on a smooth road. You can feel the shudder in the steering . Then I noticed the transmission lurch several times while at a slow idle. Then I noticed when I placed the car in reverse it would take time for it to shift into reverse. After reading on the forum, I noticed my RPM's would move up and down when going a constant speed on the interstate. All of these are signs of torque converter failure.
02-06-2016, 08:58 AM
#20
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Congrats on getting the car fixed. Sounds like your dealer took good care of you.